There are strong indications that the concessionaires of the Muritala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA 2), airport, Ikeja and the management of the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) may have agreed on how to offset the latter’s debt liabilities as the airport remained opened for air travels on Monday.
The FAAN, had on Sunday alerted that the MMA2 and some other airports would not be provided security and other personnel critical to hitch-free air travel operations as it claimed that sustained efforts to make, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), the MMA2 concessionaires, and other airports’ managers pay their debts to it failed.
Specifically, the FAAN management in a Notice To Airmen, issued by the General Manager, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, indicated that the authority would be withdrawing Aviation Security, fire- fighting and rescue operations to MMA2 effective from midnight on Sunday.
It was reliably gathered that negotiations opened between the FAAN management and BASL early today
According to report by our reporter, as early as 7.00 am on Monday normal flight operations were on at the MMA2, with just only Arik Air moving its Port Harcourt flights to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the airport due to the threat.
Our reporter observed that other airlines operating at the MMA2, namely Dana Air, Aero Contractors, Medview, Max Air, and Azman Air sustained their operations without any hindrances at the MMA2.
In its letter to the Chief Executive Officer of BASL last month, the FAAN claimed that the company owed it N3.9 billion for the provision of electricity, rent and conference and hotel and the five per cent remittance as agreed in the contract since it began operations on Sept. 8, 2007.
According to the agency, an analysis of the indebtedness as of July 31 indicated that N1.4 billion was owed by BASL for the provision of aviation security, while N143 million was for fire/safety cost and N2.1million for marshalling and N1.9billion for management cost.
Apart from BASL, other airports allegedly owing the FAAN for sundry services provided by it are the Gombe, Kebbi, and Bebi airports.
The FAAN’s spokesperson clarified further: “This action has become imperative as the management of Gombe airport is indebted to the authority to the tune of N607. 9 million, while Kebbi and Bebi airports are indebted to the tune of N124.5 million and N76. 8 million respectively without any concerted effort to pay up the debt.
“The authority has issued a Notice to Airmen to this effect so as to give operators in the airports the opportunity to review their logistics plan”, Yakubu added.
